Superfund Sites in Reuse in New Hampshire
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Auburn Road Landfill
The 200-acre Auburn Road Landfill Superfund Site is in Londonderry, New Hampshire. It includes three disposal areas that cover approximately 12 acres. A disposal area for chemical wastes, tires, demolition debris and solid waste was on site from the 1960s to 1980. The state of New Hampshire found contamination in soil, groundwater and surface water and ordered the landfill’s closure in 1980. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1983. Cleanup activities included capping and fencing of contaminated areas as well as the extension of the public water supply to nearby homes. Groundwater sampling is ongoing. Parts of the site are now in residential reuse. Part of the Whispering Pines Mobile Home Park is on the northern part of the site. The town of Londonderry created about 7 acres of wetlands partially on site to replace wetland areas affected by the landfill. In May 2021, the town requested EPA approval to build a radio transmission tower on site to improve communication among the town’s fire, police and public works departments. EPA, in consultation with New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, approved the location of the project. Local discussions about the project are ongoing.
Last updated December 2023
As of December 2023, EPA had data on one on-site business. EPA did not have further economic details related to this business. For additional information click here.
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Beede Waste Oil
Following an extensive Site reuse process, and based on community input, the Beede Waste Oil Site, located in Plaistow, New Hampshire, and formerly an industrial site, will be cleaned up to allow for future residential and recreational reuse. The 40-acre Site comprises two parcels of land. The former commercial waste oil reclamation and asphalt batching operations were located on what is referred to as Parcel 1. Parcel 2 was primarily undeveloped land used for sand and gravel operations. In the fall of 1983, chemical contamination was discovered in a residential well near the Site. About 100 aboveground storage tanks, a 140,000 gallon below ground tank and 800 drums were located on the site. EPA added the Site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1996. EPA completed a Non-Time Critical Removal Action (NTCRA) in 2005 to reduce the 4-acre mobile oil plume found under the former lagoon, tank storage and landfill area of the Site which was migrating into the nearby Kelley Brook. On-site soil is contaminated primarily with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), petroleum hydrocarbons volatile organic compounds and lead from activities, as well as numerous leaking large storage tanks and drums, and from the disposal of materials within an on-site 1-acre lagoon. Phases 1 and 2 of thermal operations were successfully implemented which treated deeper soils using steam injection to remove volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and residual oils for treatment. VOCs and 1,4-dioxane and metals are found in groundwater on site and were found in adjacent residential supply wells. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have also been identified in Site groundwater. In September 2002, the town received a Superfund Redevelopment Program pilot reuse grant from EPA to further evaluate future land use options. A cleanup remedy was selected in 2004. The remedy included excavation and off-site disposal of soils and the on-site landfill within the top ten feet and treatment of soils at depth via thermal treatment to reduce VOC concentrations and leaching into groundwater, the removal of mobile LNAPL and restoration of excavated areas. It also included pumping and treating contaminated groundwater on-site, and long-term monitoring of surface water, sediment, and groundwater. Residual mobile oils remain on-site and actions to address this material are on-going; currently belt skimmers are operated to manually remove residual oil from the subsurface. The reuse planning process under the Superfund Redevelopment pilot outlined a reuse strategy for the Site which could include senior housing, active and passive recreation, and a multi-purpose community center. While no formal reuse plans have been made, and the cleanup continues toward residential standards, the landowners and the Town continue to assess potential reuse of the Site for primarily non-residential uses such as a park and as wildlife habitat, which are consistent with the residential/recreational cleanup anticipated. A small habitat area is temporarily maintained where the tree removal took place to construct the on-site groundwater treatment plant and provides habitat for local pollinators and wildlife proximate to Kelley Brook which is along the boundary of the Site.
Last updated December 2023
As of December 2023, EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.
Fletcher's Paint Works & Storage
The Fletcher’s Paint Works & Storage Superfund site is located in Milford, New Hampshire. A paint manufacturing plant and retail outlet operated on site from 1949 to 1991. In 1982, the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) inspected the facility. NHDES found leaking and open drums on site. NHDES also found site-related contamination in the Keyes Municipal Water Supply Well next to the site. EPA added the 2-acre area to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1989. Past cleanup efforts include building demolition, drum removal, fencing, temporary cover installation, removal of contaminated soil from residential properties, and placement of a temporary liner and gravel cover over highly contaminated areas. In 1996, at the request of the town of Milford, the potentially responsible party removed soil with low levels of contamination from the Elm Street area of the site to allow for reuse. In 2017, construction activities were completed, which included the Mill Street area soil excavation, backfilling of the area with clean soil and a grass cover, and relocation of part of Mill Street for better local traffic management. Construction activities at the Elm Street area include soil excavation, an engineered soil and grass cover permitting recreational use, and an asphalt cover over select areas providing the town with additional parking for nearby Keyes Recreational Field. The Elm Street area is now used as a public park and includes a stone bandstand and a portion of the cleaned-up Souhegan River. Groundwater monitoring is ongoing.
Last updated December 2023
As of December 2023, EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.
Kearsarge Metallurgical Corp.
The 9-acre Kearsarge Metallurgical Corporation (KMC) Superfund site is located in Conway, New Hampshire, on the north shore of Pequawket Pond. From the mid-1960s through the early 1980s, KMC made stainless steel castings on site. The manufacturing process created waste casting sands, wax and solvents. KMC dumped these wastes in a wooded wetland east of the facility. When operations ceased, the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) and EPA found a waste pile, soils and groundwater contaminated with solvents. EPA placed the site on the National Priorities List (NPL) in September 1984. Cleanup began in 1992 and included removal of 13,620 tons of contaminated soils and construction of a groundwater treatment plant. During 12 years of operation, the plant treated over 250 million gallons of water and removed more than 225 pounds of contaminants. In 2013, the town sold the site property at auction to help invigorate the surrounding industrial park. EPA and NHDES addressed remaining groundwater contamination with a soil treatment remedy in 2015. A towing company, a heating business, and a farm equipment and diesel truck repair facility are currently located in the former groundwater treatment plant and part of the original KMC building. Ecological reuse includes forested wetlands that provide ecological habitat along the northern bank of Pequawket Pond.
Last updated December 2023
As of December 2023, EPA had data on 3 on-site businesses. These businesses employed 6 people and generated an estimated $693,000 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.
For more information:
- Site Redevelopment Profile: Kearsarge Metallurgical Corp. Superfund Site (PDF)
- Reuse and the Benefit to Community: Kearsarge Metallurgical Corp. Superfund Site (PDF)
- Superfund Site Profile Page
Keefe Environmental Services (KES)
The 7-acre Keefe Environmental Services (KES) site is in Rockingham County, New Hampshire. KES ran a chemical waste storage facility on site from 1978 to 1981, when it filed for bankruptcy and abandoned the site. Solvents, acids, caustics, heavy metals, paint sludges, waste oils and organic chemicals were disposed of at the site. Facility operations led to soil and groundwater contamination, on and off site. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1981. Short-term cleanup included drawing down a waste lagoon to prevent it from overflowing, removing the contents of the lagoon and nearby contaminated soil, and removing drums and aboveground tanks, Long-term cleanup included removing and treating contaminated groundwater and wetlands restoration. EPA transferred responsibility for the remaining cleanup to the state of New Hampshire in 2005 and modified the cleanup remedy from groundwater treatment to monitored natural attenuation. Monitoring of groundwater and surface water is ongoing. Institutional controls in the form of deed notices are in place to manage the use of groundwater to prevent potential exposure to contamination. The site is in a state-protected watershed with wetland areas that drain to the Piscassic River and Fresh River. A solar array was being considered for the Site; the Town of Epping currently owns the property and uses the former treatment facility for maintenance storage.
Last updated December 2023
As of December 2023, EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.
For more information:
Ottati & Goss/Kingston Steel Drum
The 35-acre Ottati & Goss/Kingston Steel Drum Superfund site is located in Kingston, New Hampshire. The site includes a 6-acre parcel, known as the Great Lakes Corporation area, and a 1-acre parcel, known as the Ottati & Goss area. From the late 1950s through 1980, various owners reconditioned steel drums on the Great Lakes Corporation area. Discharge of industrial wastes into lagoons, runoff and seepage from this area into nearby surface water killed fish and aquatic vegetation. From 1978 through 1979, site operators processed waste at the Ottati & Goss area. Activities contaminated soil, groundwater and surface water. After operations ended in 1979, the New Hampshire Bureau of Solid Waste Management prohibited site operators from restarting operations. The Bureau ordered the removal of thousands of deteriorating and leaking drums from the site. EPA placed the site on the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1983. Cleanup activities included removal of leaking drums and thousands of tons of soil and debris, excavation and on-site treatment of soil and sediment using low temperature thermal desorption, groundwater and soil treatment using in-place chemical oxidation, and wetland restoration for ecological reuse. Wetland restoration included the placement of over 20,000 cubic yards of manufactured wetland material and the planting of more than 1,000 trees and shrubs. A Town Ordinance and Groundwater Management Zone is in place to prevent use of groundwater and disturbance to the wetlands while an Activity Use Restriction (AUR) is in place to restrict activities which would impact soils below 6 feet.
Last updated December 2023
As of December 2023, EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.
For more information:
Pease Air Force Base
The 4,000-acre former Pease Air Force Base is in Rockingham County in the city of Portsmouth and the town of Newington, New Hampshire. From the 1950s until 1991, the U.S. Air Force (Air Force) used the facility to maintain military aircraft. Aircraft maintenance operations contaminated soil and groundwater with solvents and fuel. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1990. The Air Force continues to conduct investigations and is also operating two treatment systems for contaminated groundwater. In 1992, the Air Force transferred 1,702 acres of the site to the local government for use as a public airport. The Air Force kept 229 acres for the New Hampshire Air National Guard. The New Hampshire Department of Transportation leased 20 acres for a highway expansion project. The Air Force also transferred 1,054 acres to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for creation of the Great Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge is a designated National Estuarine Research Reserve that supports ecological reuse, recreation, scientific study, and a community wildlife garden. In 1997, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service received another 1,300 acres from the Air Force. In 2000, the Pease Development Authority completed the Pease International Tradeport. In 2005, the Air Force transferred the remaining 268 acres of the site to the Pease Development Authority. Redevelopment of this area is ongoing. In 2015, EPA issued an Administrative Order to the Air Force under the Safe Drinking Water Act requiring the design and construction of two treatment systems to address groundwater contamination that impacted and threatened public and private well drinking water supplies while also expediting the investigation and cleanup of the emerging contaminants perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) in the aquifer. Both groundwater treatment systems are operational and removing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from extracted groundwater. The Air Force also financed a new drinking water treatment facility designed and constructed by the city of Portsmouth to treat PFAS-contaminated drinking water from the three Pease Tradeport supply wells. In early 2021, the Air Force began the remedial investigation under Superfund to determine the full nature and extent of these emerging contaminants in the Pease environment. Results of the remedial investigation will be used to assess potential remedial options that are required to address any unacceptable risks posed to human health and the environment. The assessment of remedial options will be detailed in a future feasibility study. The Pease International Tradeport is home to over 270 commercial and industrial businesses, education facilities and government offices. The site also supports Portsmouth International Airport, the New Hampshire Air National Guard and a golf course.
Last updated December 2023
As of December 2021, EPA had data on 265 on-site businesses. These businesses employed 6,346 people and generated an estimated $1,639,787,658 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.
For more information:
- Reuse and the Benefit to Community: Pease Air Force Base Superfund Site (PDF)
- Superfund Site Profile Page
Savage Municipal Water Supply
The Savage Municipal Water Supply Superfund Site is in Milford, New Hampshire. From the 1940s until the 1980s, four industrial facilities southwest of a municipal well released untreated process waters and wastes into the groundwater and surface water. In February 1983, during routine sampling, the New Hampshire Water Supply and Pollution Control Commission found groundwater contamination above drinking water standards in the municipal well. It was immediately closed. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1984. EPA, the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES), and the potentially responsible parties worked together to clean up the site. Cleanup included pumping and treating groundwater on site, installing a slurry wall to isolate groundwater contamination, and extracting harmful vapors from soil. It also included institutional controls to prohibit the use of contaminated groundwater and to protect occupants of new buildings from vapor intrusion in some areas of the site. Groundwater monitoring is ongoing. Land uses in the area include residential, agricultural, industrial and commercial areas. Uses on site include agricultural, recreational and ecological. Examples of these include a baseball diamond and the Souhegan River Trail.
Last updated December 2023
As of December 2023, EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.
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Somersworth Sanitary Landfill
The 26-acre Somersworth Sanitary Landfill Superfund Site is located in the City of Somersworth, New Hampshire. The City of Somersworth operated a waste disposal area at the Site from the mid-1930s until 1981. The City burned residential, commercial and industrial wastes at the Site. In 1958, the City stopped burning waste and converted the area into a landfill. Improper disposal practices contaminated the soil, sediment and groundwater at the Site. EPA added the Site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1983. Cleanup included groundwater containment and treatment, a landfill cover, and gas venting, as well as land and groundwater use restrictions. Prior to the Site’s listing on the NPL, the City covered a 10-acre portion of the Site with clean fill for use as a recreation area. This area now includes a basketball court and is still available for passive recreation, such as walking. Part of the Site is still not developed as it contains the former landfill and wetlands downgradient from the former landfill. In 2013, EPA presented the City with an initial assessment of renewable energy opportunities for the site. In early 2023, the City contracted Ameresco Inc., to re-develop the 10- acre portion of the Site into a solar array facility that will be leased from the City. Discussions for the project next steps are underway.
Last updated December 2023
As of December 2023, EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.
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South Municipal Water Supply Well
The 250-acre South Municipal Water Supply Well Superfund site is in the Contoocook River Valley in Peterborough, New Hampshire. Installed in 1952, the South Municipal Water Supply Well provided water to Peterborough for nearly 30 years. In 1982, testing by the state of New Hampshire revealed contaminants in the water, which resulted in the closing of the well. Investigations found that the nearby New Hampshire Ball Bearings facility was the source of the contamination. The facility has manufactured precision ball bearings since 1956. Activities at the facility contaminated soil, groundwater, wetland sediments and surface water. EPA placed the site on the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1984. Initial cleanup activities included groundwater and soil treatment, off-site disposal of contaminated sediments, and wetland restoration. Later, EPA determined that restoration of some of the contaminated groundwater at the site was not possible. EPA updated the remedy to contain the groundwater instead of treating it. In 2008, EPA found that the site remedy was not functioning as intended. EPA updated the cleanup plan in 2010 to change source control and migration management activities. New Hampshire Ball Bearings completed a below-ground wall to clean up contaminated groundwater in 2014. In-place thermal treatment of an on-site source area finished in 2016. The below-ground wall is not functioning as intended and a replacement wall is anticipated to be installed in early 2024. Current site uses include the 24-acre active New Hampshire Ball Bearings manufacturing plant, commercial and residential properties, part of U.S. Route 202 and wetlands.
Last updated December 2023
As of December 2023, EPA had data on 4 on-site businesses. These businesses employed 363 people and generated an estimated $36,818,396 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.
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Tinkham Garage
The 375-acre Tinkham Garage Superfund site is located in Londonderry, New Hampshire. In 1978, residents downgradient of the Site complained of foam and odors in a small unnamed stream that runs through the site and discharges through the nearby neighborhood. Investigators found impacted public and private water supply wells along the northeastern portion of the Site as well as soil and groundwater contamination across the Site. In 1983, EPA placed the site on the National Priorities List (NPL). Cleanup activities included groundwater and soil treatment, extension of the public water line to the condominium complex and nearby houses and groundwater monitoring. The remedy changed to monitored natural attenuation in 2003 and long-term monitoring was initiated. Connection to a water line was required in 2016 to address contamination found in water supply wells in a neighborhood east of the garage. An on-going Remedial Investigation has documented the presence of emerging contaminants in groundwater and the migration of Site contaminants into downgradient neighborhoods where residents rely on groundwater as a drinking water source; selection of an alternative water source is being considered. Groundwater use is monitored under a Groundwater Management Permit issued by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES). A revised groundwater remedy is expected at the completion of the remedial investigations. Today, a shopping complex with a Home Depot, Staples and Dunkin’ Donuts occupies the northeast area of the site. The Woodland Village Condominium complex and several single-family homes remain on the north/northwestern part of the site. The Nevins Retirement Cooperative Association completed construction of over 125 senior housing single family residences on the central part of the site. Site redevelopment has increased property values in Londonderry. Increased economic activity at the site has also encouraged local infrastructure improvements.
Last updated December 2023
As of December 2023, EPA had data on 7 on-site businesses. These businesses employed 349 people and generated an estimated $95,365,070 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.
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Town Garage/Radio Beacon
The Town Garage/Radio Beacon Superfund site is located in Londonderry, New Hampshire. The U.S. Department of Defense owned part of the site from the early 1940s until 1968 and operated a radio beacon there during World War II. Afterwards, the site contained a series of residential wells and one commercial well. A 1984 state inspection found groundwater contamination in many of the wells. In the late 1980s, owners of six residences affected by groundwater contamination in wells chose to connect to the local public water supply. As a precaution, several other residences have since connected to the public water supply. EPA placed the site on the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1989. Cleanup activities included annual monitoring of natural processes to clean up groundwater and placing restrictions to prevent groundwater use for household purposes. The success of EPA’s cleanup plan allowed for site reuse. Today, the site includes two residential developments, a garage operated by the Londonderry Department of Public Works and a wetland area. The Holton Circle development includes about 25 homes and the Saddlebrook development includes 20 new homes. In 2014, EPA took the site off the NPL.
Last updated December 2023
As of December 2023, EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.
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Troy Mills Landfill
The Troy Mills Landfill Superfund Site is part of a larger 270-acre parcel in Troy, New Hampshire. From 1967 until 1978, Troy Mills Inc. used the property to dispose of solid waste and hazardous materials generated by its manufacturing plant. In 1978, the state of New Hampshire ordered the company to stop these disposal practices. During the 1980s and 1990s, environmental investigations confirmed on-site soil, groundwater, surface water and sediment contamination. Troy Mills Inc. filed for bankruptcy in 2001. EPA placed the Site on the National Priorities List (NPL) in 2003. Cleanup actions included installing a system to collect hazardous materials from the groundwater. Cleanup also included removal of drums containing flammable liquid waste, waste sludge, and contaminated soil. After removing contaminated soil, EPA backfilled excavated areas and capped them. In 2005, EPA supported community efforts to identify reuse options for the Site. The community expressed interest in a recreation area. Today, a trail network forms part of the 42-mile Cheshire Branch Rail Trail system running adjacent to the Site. Future recreation opportunities at the Site could include hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking and cross-country skiing. Reuse of a portion of the Site, and an adjacent solid waste landfill managed by NHDES, as a potential solar co-generation facility is being explored by EPA and NHDES. Also, the Appalachian Mountain Club has expressed interest in re-routing an existing recreational rail trail through a portion of the 270-acre parcel.
Last updated December 2023
As of December 2023, EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.
For more information: